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Language Teaching Research Quarterly

European Journal of Studies in Management and Business

International Journal of Behavior Studies in Organizations

Studies in Educational Management

New Challenges in Accounting and Finance

Language Testing in Focus: An International Journal

Marketing and Branding Research

Individual Differences in Language Education: An International Journal 

Feedback Research in Second Language 

Management Issues in Healthcare System

Language Teacher Education Research

Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Development

The loan approval process, characterized by its complexity, path diversity, and time sensitivity, has long been a critical domain for enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction in the banking sector. This study aims to analyze performance and identify bottlenecks within the loan approval process of a financial institution using a process mining approach. The research utilizes data from the BPI Challenge 2012 dataset, which contains over 13,000 loan applications. A quantitative, data-driven methodology was employed, consisting of seven sequential stages: data preparation, process discovery, performance analysis, bottleneck identification, resource analysis, conformance checking, and, finally, the formulation of improvement strategies and continuous monitoring. The results reveal that the loan approval process exhibits a relatively long cycle time, a high rate of rejected or canceled applications, substantial workload concentration among a limited number of users, and low conformance with the reference model. The main bottlenecks were detected in the Application Completion and Credit Assessment stages, while many process deviations were attributed to repetitive or non-standard task sequences. Based on these insights, several improvement strategies were proposed, including the adoption of digital checklists, workload redistribution, standardization of main process paths, automation of time-consuming activities, and deployment of real-time monitoring tools. These actions are expected to improve productivity, reduce operational costs, and enhance customer satisfaction in the banking industry.

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Case Study

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From Data to Improvement: Analyzing Performance and Identifying Bottlenecks in the Lending Process with a Data-Driven Process Mining Approach 

In recent years, the development of AI-powered applications has sparked a wave of innovation across multiple disciplines, including education. In addition, Vietnam's education has been oriented to promote the development and study of AI applications towards specific targets for the year 2030, as set out in Decision No. 127/QD-TTg dated January 26, 2021, and Resolution 57-NQ/TW. However, this integration progress has stumbled over multiple challenges in the past few years due to many external and internal elements. In particular, <a href="#R43">Vo and Nguyen (2024)</a> noted that although the reliability of answers from AI models like ChatGPT remains questionable, most surveyed Vietnamese university students found them approachable and easy to use. Another study by <a href="#R28">Maheshwari (2023)</a> asserted that assessment methods, test instructions, and educators&rsquo; approaches also need appropriate adjustments to align with these technological advancements. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the factors influencing the introduction of AI technologies into universities in Vietnam using an integrated model proposed by <a href="#R36">Sharma and Singh (2024)</a>. Built on renowned theories such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and Perceived Organizational Support (POS), this model provided more comprehensive insights into the adoption of AI technologies in Vietnam. The results support the suggested hypotheses and recommend appropriate strategies for university students, academic staff, and policy makers for future use.

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Original Research 

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An Empirical Study of UTAUT Model on the Adoption of AI Technologies in Vietnamese Higher Education

Understanding others&rsquo; feelings and thoughts and responding to them properly is called empathy and it is one of the fundamental features of language teachers. Despite the recognized significance of empathy in language teaching, there is currently a lack of a standardized scale to measure empathy skills specifically in the context of language education. Based on a sequential mixed methods design, at the first phase of the study a pool of 70 items was developed based on the literature. Expert views and face and content validity procedure reduced them to 23. A number of 255 English language teachers participated in the second phase of the study. Exploratory factor analysis was employed. Three sub constructs labeled as Emotional Attunement Skills, Active Listening Skill, and Perspective-taking Skill were found for the remaining 15 items. The findings revealed that the valid and reliable scale can be safely used to assess empathy skills.

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Development and Validation of the Language Teachers’ Empathy Skills Scale

During the last few decades, business philosophy has shifted from marketing orientation to Relationship Marketing Orientation (RMO). Service oriented organizations, such as banks, increasingly apply RMO to enhance their brand management practices, such as brand loyalty and brand image. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of relationship marketing orientation and its dimensions (trust, bonding, communication, shared values, empathy and reciprocity) on the Brand Equity in Saderat Bank. Data were collected from 339 customers across various branches of Saderat Bank in Ardabil, Iran. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the measurements and relationships among the variables. The findings of this study demonstrate that RMO has a positive effect on the brand equity of Saderat Bank. Specifically, dimensions including trust, bonding, empathy, and reciprocity have direct and significant effects on brand equity, with the effect of trust being significantly higher. However, communication and shared values showed no significant effects on brand equity. The findings of this study offer practical applications for enhancing the brand equity of banks and other financial institutions, particularly Islamic banks, by exploring the cultural variation of relationship marketing.

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Issue

The Impact of Relationship Marketing on Brand Equity in the Banking Sector in Iran

Teacher talk plays a vital role in classroom interactions, particularly in English Language Teaching (ELT), where it significantly affects student learning and engagement. However, there is limited research on how autistic pre-service teachers manage communication in inclusive classroom settings. This study addresses this gap by examining teacher-student interactions led by an autistic pre-service English teacher in a seventh-grade inclusive classroom in Surabaya, Indonesia. A descriptive qualitative design was used, with data collected from six audio-recorded classroom sessions, transcribed, and analyzed using Flanders&rsquo; Interaction Analysis Categories System (FIACS). The findings revealed that the teacher&rsquo;s talk was largely directive and lecture-based, with the most frequent behaviors being "giving directions" (14.85%), "lecturing" (12.73%), and "asking questions" (12.73%). Both indirect talk (28.11%) and direct talk (27.85%) were used in nearly equal proportions, while socio-affective behaviors such as praise (1.86%) and acknowledgment of feelings (3.98%) were less frequent. These findings highlight the challenges and adaptive strategies of autistic pre-service teachers, demonstrating how structured language and facilitative questioning coexist in inclusive ELT practice. This study contributes to inclusive teacher education and applied linguistics, offering insights into the communicative strategies of neurodiverse teacher trainees.

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Teacher Talk of Autistic Pre-Service Teachers in ELT Practicum: A FIACS-Based Analysis

<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: FA; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Ethical Leadership (EL) is crucial for achieving Social Justice Outcomes (SJO) in environmentally vulnerable communities, yet the moderating role of Environmental Sustainability Practices (ESP) remains underexplored. This study examines the effect of EL on SJO and the moderating role of ESP in this relationship. The study sampled 452 respondents, including local government officials, traditional leaders, community opinion leaders, and residents from flood-prone coastal areas, informal settlements, and environmentally degraded communities. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4 and bootstrapping techniques to assess direct and moderating effects. Results reveal that EL significantly promotes SJO through fairness, transparency, inclusion, accountability, and respect for rights. EL also positively influences ESP by encouraging conservation, efficiency, recycling, compliance, and innovation. Furthermore, ESP strengthens the relationship between EL and SJO, indicating that structured sustainability practices support ethical decision-making for equitable outcomes. Findings support Stakeholder Theory, emphasizing attention to diverse stakeholders, and Institutional Theory, highlighting formal structures for effective leadership. The study guides policymakers and community institutions in integrating ethical leadership with organized environmental practices to enhance justice and sustainability.

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Linking Ethical Leadership to Social Justice Outcomes: The Moderating Influence of Environmental Sustainability Practices

<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: FA; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) continue to encounter significant obstacles in securing finance, often due to information asymmetry, limited credit histories, and inadequate collateral. Developments in Financial Technology (FinTech) have reshaped capital access by enhancing information exchange, reducing transaction costs, and introducing alternative financing models. This study offers a systematic review of empirical research on FinTech and SME financial inclusion between 2008 and 2025, using scientific methods such as PRISMA, PSALSAR, Biblioshiny, and Bibliometrix in RStudio. The findings indicate a relatively recent and fragmented body of literature, with a concentration of studies in China, Indonesia, and other emerging economies. Evidence consistently supports FinTech&rsquo;s contribution to mitigating financing barriers, particularly in developing contexts. Nonetheless, notable limitations remain, such as a dependence on secondary data, restricted geographic scope, and a scarcity of longitudinal analyses. The paper identifies these gaps and proposes directions for future research to better understand how FinTech can foster sustainable and inclusive financing for SMEs in diverse economic environments.

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Review Article

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Fintech and SME Financial Inclusion: A Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis

This study investigates the relationship between leader-member exchange and work engagement among emergency care setting nurses, considering the mediating role of humor at work. Through a causal quantitative approach, 301 employees in Emergency care settings were chosen from five hospitals at random using a simple random procedure. Three validated scales were used in this study to measure the study variables and establish a structural equation model.&nbsp; The findings reveal that Leader-Member exchange positively affects nurses' work engagement and Humor at work. But the humor on work engagement is not significantly related to work engagement. Therefore, the effects of leader-member exchange and work engagement, while humor mediates them, were not significant. The study demonstrates that leader-member exchange has a significant, direct, positive impact on both nurses&rsquo; work engagement and workplace humor. While workplace humor does not mediate this relationship, the findings highlight that direct relational leadership is the primary driver of nursing engagement. For hospital administrators in emergency care settings, this suggests a need to prioritize supervisors&rsquo; relational behaviors. Cultivating high-quality leader-member exchange directly improves the work environment and boosts nurses&rsquo; engagement, ultimately leading to more effective healthcare management and better patient outcomes.

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Humor, Leader-Member Exchange, and Work Engagement: A Mediation Analysis Among Nurses in Emergency Care Settings

In the dynamic and increasingly diverse healthcare environment, career adaptability is a recognized predictor of work engagement. This study investigated the mediating effect of cultural intelligence as an underlying mechanism on the relationship among nursing professionals. Primary data were collected from a sample of nurses (N=271) using validated self-report questionnaires that assessed the three focal constructs: career adaptability, cultural intelligence, and work engagement. To test the proposed hypotheses and examine the structural relationships among the variables, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized. The findings revealed a significant positive direct relationship between career adaptability and work engagement. Crucially, the analysis confirmed that cultural intelligence exerts a significant mediating effect on this relationship: career adaptability positively predicts cultural intelligence, which, in turn, enhances work engagement. Highly adaptable nurses are better equipped to develop cultural intelligence, thereby improving their overall work engagement. Healthcare administrators should prioritize professional development programs that foster both career adaptability and cultural intelligence to sustain nurse engagement and improve patient care. Cultivating these critical psychosocial resources can effectively sustain nurses&rsquo; work engagement, reduce turnover intentions, and ultimately improve patient care outcomes in diverse healthcare settings.

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Nurses’ Career Adaptability and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Cultural Intelligence

<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: 'Cambria',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: -.15pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Although the findings of teaching method studies conducted to date have offered insights into the positive influence of novel teaching strategies on improving students&rsquo; academic performance, there is no conclusive evidence addressing the effect of integrated teaching methods on pupil&rsquo;s academic self-efficacy, academic engagement, and academic performance. This study compares the differential effects of employing an integrated teaching method on enhancing primary school students&rsquo; academic attitudes. To set the scene, 40 6th-grade students were randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group trained using the integrated teaching method (n = 20) and a control group that stuck to the traditional teaching method (n = 20). The participating groups took Jinks and Morgan&rsquo;s academic self-efficacy, Fredricks and Blumenfield&rsquo;s academic engagement, and teacher-made academic performance pretests. Having completed 8 sessions of integrated teaching, students took the aforementioned tests as posttests. The data analysis demonstrated the effectiveness of the integrated teaching method in increasing the variables, as the participants in the control group outperformed them. The findings of the study act as a driving force for potential educational implications which are discussed in detail.

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Effect of Integrated Teaching Method on Elementary Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Engagement, and Academic Performance

As an L2 learner and teacher, you have often asked yourself why some students acquire a second language (L2) more successfully than others. On the other hand, other students seem to find difficulty with similar material. You might have noticed that some students are quick to engage with a task while others appear to disengage. How can language learning be structured in the face of these diverse responses? You might further question why the L2 acquisition of speaking or grammar (for example) is so easily taught through tasks, while the L2 acquisition of writing or listening comprehension seems resistant to this approach. These questions lie at the heart of teachers, learners, researchers, and policy makers who wish to improve L2 education. Nonetheless, there are two main aspects of L2 learning: Individual Differences (IDs) and Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). First, IDs are broadly defined as thepersonal characteristics that make learners differ from one another in how they approach and succeed in language learning (Skehan, 1989).

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Book Review

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Book Review: Individual Differences and Task-Based Language Teaching (2024), Edited by Shaofeng Li (John Benjamins)

Individual Differences in the AI and Digital Era: The Impact of ChatGPT and Beyond

Guest Editors:
Zhisheng (Edward) Wen 
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - CPCE, Hong Kong SAR, China

Richard L. Sparks
Mt. St. Joseph University, USA

Hassan Mohebbi 
European Knowledge Development Institute, Turkey


Special Issue

For a long time, motivation and anxiety, as traits of individual differences (IDs), have been understood as significant factors in learning a second language (L2) successfully. Scholars conceptualized these two traits as learners&rsquo; internal traits. In this article, we, as the authors, use sociocultural theory (SCT) to revisit these traits and reconceptualize them. Therefore, we argue that these traits are not merely unchanged qualities; instead, they are the outcome of a learner&rsquo;s engagement in a socially meaningful practice during the L2 learning process. Meanwhile, current research findings show that other factors, such as linguistic aptitude, L1 literacy, and L2 metalinguistic skills, play a part in L2 learning. These factors are not only applicable to a traditional classroom environment, but we believe that with the emergence of AI-mediated learning tools, such as chatbots, adaptive learning platforms, and AI tutors, they can be used as scaffolding techniques for learners&rsquo; participation. We further argue that if AI tools are used systematically to meet learners&rsquo; needs, they can enhance learning processes, and this can reduce L2 anxiety and increase motivation. A sociocultural perspective, therefore, provides a productive way to understand how motivation and anxiety unfold in AI-mediated language learning, while remaining attentive to the linguistic resources that adult learners bring with them.

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Perspective Article

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Reconceptualizing Individual Differences through the Lens of Sociocultural Theory in AI-Mediated Language Learning